What’s the vibe?
It’s not often you stay at a hotel where the attention to detail feels on par with open heart surgery. A fertile union of Balinese hospitality with the polished reputation of world-class hotel Raffles promises a stay where you feel as cared for as a newborn babe. Raffles Bali doesn’t just sweat the small stuff; it agonises the minutia. Everyone knows your name and preferences, down to whether you’re a still or sparkling water drinker. If you don’t like decadence, cosseting and 24/7 golf buggy chauffeuring, stop reading now.
Despite its doors being open for only a few years, this project has been two decades in the making – starting with a lengthy 16-year negotiation to secure the plot from several families. The spot seems worthy of such a protracted negotiation, too – 57 acres of rolling tropical forest and limestone caves hugged by a private sand beach that makes you forget you’re staying in a hotel resort altogether. Sometimes, the sunsets, star-studded skies, and glowing moon are so striking that you can’t help but think Raffles must be paying them overtime. Conveniently just a 25-minute drive from Bali airport in Jimbaran Bay, Raffles is also the ideal luxe pitstop for those wanting to transit to another Indonesian island without being at the mercy of the island’s legendary traffic jams.
With 32 Balinese-style villas hewn into the landscape, with sea views, infinity pools, day beds, a garden and dedicated butler service, the hotel lends itself to honeymooners seeking to revel in peace and privacy. With minibars stocked with dinky bottles of Krug and the option of babi guling delivered to your bedside, leaving the love nest might prove difficult. Not a honeymooner? Not a problem. You might just find your one true love in the Japanese washlets installed in each bathroom. Featuring more settings than the average microwave, the Toto has multiple jet wash buttons, a cheek drier and a heated seat so as not to shock your derrière upon entry. Returning home to your bog standard, er, bog, will feel like a struggle.
What to eat and drink?
There are several dining and drinking destinations onsite, including Rumari and the Writers Bar in the main building alongside Loloan Beach Bar & Grill, The Farm Terrace and The Secret Cave. If you’re channelling the energy of a wilted houseplant after a discombobulating 20-hour flight, there’s also the option of in-villa dining brought to you by your butler. While each offers something different, every restaurant guarantees you’ll leave feeling like a stuffed piñata. Sporting a Balinese sarong for the duration of your stay: strongly advised.
Keen to emphasise they “don’t do buffet”, breakfast at Rumari is terrible news for punters with a penchant for mass scrambled eggs and pint-sized boxes of cornflakes. The a la carte menu has substantial range. Play it safe with eggs benedict or French toast, or equally push the boat out with a 60°C Tabanan duck egg and caviar on toast or nasi uduk – an Indonesian omelette made from pandan rice, dried fish and peanuts. You should treat breakfast as a multi-course affair and devote your morning to reading a book while you knock back Sumatran coffee and stain pages with greasy fingerprints from plunging pastries into dragonfruit jam.
If somehow unsatiated from breakfast, amble down the hill to Loloan Beach Bar & Grill for brunch accompanied by the coo of jalan jalan poised in the nearby trees. Full disclaimer: brunch is a misnomer. This menu includes a gut-busting feast of nine courses and not a single slice of avocado toast in sight. It’s a real culinary epic which takes you through every cuisine and culture, from pan-seared foie gras and Kaviari caviar to an Indonesian cheese course, wagyu beef tenderloin and petit fours with the option of a Krug champagne pairing. Just ensure you don’t have to be anywhere in a hurry – the experience takes around four hours.
If you came to Indonesia to eat Indonesian food (who wouldn’t?), Rumari should be your plan of attack. This highlight of Raffles’ culinary offering serves six or nine-course menus using 80% seasonal, local ingredients designed to showcase the culinary diversity of the Indonesian archipelago. Each course is named after a different corner of the country – so you’ll travel to West Sumatra with mud crab, green chilli, and ginger flower before heading to Baturiti for black heritage pig laksa with curry leaves and then Klungkung for bamboo lobster with lentils – all without leaving the comfort of your dining chair.
What to do?
Going to Bali without getting a massage is like going to Arizona and not seeing the Grand Canyon – so Raffles’ spa should be high on your agenda. There’s a ream of treatments on offer to scratch every kind of itch, from chakra balancing and Tibetan singing bowl therapy to reiki and hot stone massages. Once you’ve chosen a treatment, your therapist will run through the desired pressure, target areas, and the type of oil you want to be lathered in while you sip a hot concoction of tamarind, turmeric, and palm sugar. A word of warning: the full body massage is so deeply relaxing, don’t be surprised if you find yourself searching for your pulse by the end. For those still thawing from jetlag, head to sunrise hatha yoga, which takes place every morning from 7 to 8 am on the yoga deck. It’s a slow and peaceful practice perfect for easing you into the day before the tropical heat gets thick.
The languid charm of Raffles extends to its pool and beach – which are deliciously empty, perhaps thanks to the love birds keeping their canoodling to the private villas. Should you wish to leave the hotel for a day trip to Ubud, Uluwatu or Nasu Penida, the hotel is happy to organise this. Plus, with plans to install a helipad onsite in the coming years, it will be even easier to travel to other parts of Bali for the day without getting slammed by traffic.
Villas start at £840 per night; for more information visit raffles.com/bali
